What an utter piece of shit.

  • Hegar@kbin.social
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    6
    arrow-down
    2
    ·
    edit-2
    1 year ago

    I would reverse it: That’s why he has no morals, he’s a billionaire. Having social or financial power reduces the brain’s capacity for empathy - the rich and powerful become evil.

    Biologically, that’s how power works. You can’t grow up with money (esp. South African diamond money) without being evil.

    • hellweaver666@discuss.tchncs.de
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      5
      arrow-down
      2
      ·
      edit-2
      1 year ago

      It’s absolutely impossible to become a billionaire and have anything resembling a conscience. Some folks get rich and then have an “oh shit” moment (like Bill Gates) but most just continue abusing every mechanism they can to get richer.

      • BioDriver@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        4
        arrow-down
        3
        ·
        1 year ago

        Gates cheated on his wife and was a total asshole through this tenure with Microsoft. Dolly Parton, meanwhile, would be a billionaire if she’d just stop donating all her money and time to charities, underprivileged groups, and other noble causes.

          • Ænima@lemm.ee
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            3
            arrow-down
            1
            ·
            edit-2
            1 year ago

            How, exactly, was that “whataboutism?” The comment was made about Bill Gates, implying he was some sort of “changed man,” when in actuality, he’s not. Fun fact, he’s the reason the coronavirus vaccine was not released for free/cheap to less developed countries. He “Gates-keeped” (see what I did there?) a whole fucking vaccine, that could have saved thousands to millions of lives worldwide, in the name of profit and investment.

            The only reason he changed anything about his wealth hoarding was because of his, now, ex wife. She was his empathy. Now that they are divorced, he’s back to his old shitty habits. Another little bit of info, he’s been buying up farmland cause he knows that climate change will lead to drought and famine and he wants to take in those fat digital zeros when he’s one of the few food producers for the country.

            So sure, “whataboutism is bad or Russian or whatever,” but that was a direct counter to the notion that Bill Gates has become a fucking Messiah; a changed man. The best thing about Bill Gates divorced him.

            • Cabrio@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              1
              arrow-down
              3
              ·
              1 year ago

              Straight up watabouted Bill with Dolly on their philanthropy while completely dismissing that Bill has invested more than Dolly’s total net worth ($350 million) year over year by a factor of 23 ($8.3 billion in 2023 alone).

              • BioDriver@lemmy.world
                link
                fedilink
                arrow-up
                1
                arrow-down
                1
                ·
                edit-2
                1 year ago

                Bill was only philanthropic because of his now-ex wife, who he still cheated on. He never became a “better person,” he was always a shitbag. Dolly, meanwhile, was never a shitbag and constantly gave to charity throughout her career and stood up for what was right throughout her life, including being pro-LGBTQ+ in the fucking 70s.

                This isn’t whataboutism, this is contrasting two wildly different people.

                • Cabrio@lemmy.world
                  link
                  fedilink
                  arrow-up
                  1
                  arrow-down
                  3
                  ·
                  1 year ago

                  Nobody in the is entire thread said he wasn’t a piece of shit. You do realise that right? Doesn’t change that he’s done 8 wannabe billionaires worth of Dolly Partons in philanthropic investments just this year alone.